officers morale

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LE

the new continuous attitude survey has stated that officers morale has dropped by 10%, which has raised a few eyebrows up above. so .........has it really or is the new mk1 etc process sucking the life out of TA officers, does mobilisation have an effect.
what other reasons would there be to have this effect overall?

those who, at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger, and finally passed out of sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom... let those that come after see to it that their names are not forgotten.

LE

Bah, BS. Beat me to it. I was doing my own "Top 10 instances of the Black Dog" list.

The hassles of doing MK1 do feature highly. So far as mobilisation as a cause of poor morale in officers is concerned: what is bothering people is that individual mobilisation of (mainly) the junior ranks leaves TA officers gnashing their teeth from the sidelines.

LE

Swinger

See all above..but: MK1, MK2, precious little point to existence beyond training the blokes, mobilisation liability being all about bone watchkeeper jobs not actually leading your blokes (who will probably be sucked away as IRs), ever increasing expectations, endless paperwork, no sense that we are working for an organisation that gives a stuff about our interests or welfare, having to absorb the grief of the manning & recruiting crisis, not being able to produce the training that your blokes deserve because of a lack of resources and a flood of bone tasks dropped on the unit from on high...and precious little fun.

There are big questions (explored in the threads above, I am sure) about what the point is even being a TA officer any more (especially one above the rank of Lt) - and precious few official answers apart from repeated attempts at often spurious 'professionalisation' that appear to have been dreamt up by Regulars who merrily ignore the realities of TA service and the full implications of what they propose.

LE

See all above..but: MK1, MK2, precious little point to existence beyond training the blokes, mobilisation liability being all about bone watchkeeper jobs not actually leading your blokes (who will probably be sucked away as IRs), ever increasing expectations, endless paperwork, no sense that we are working for an organisation that gives a stuff about our interests or welfare, having to absorb the grief of the manning & recruiting crisis, not being able to produce the training that your blokes deserve because of a lack of resources and a flood of bone tasks dropped on the unit from on high...and precious little fun.

There are big questions (explored in the threads above, I am sure) about what the point is even being a TA officer any more (especially one above the rank of Lt) - and precious few official answers apart from repeated attempts at often spurious 'professionalisation' that appear to have been dreamt up by Regulars who merrily ignore the realities of TA service and the full implications of what they propose.

Spot on mate. I think that the CoC are desperate to "close the gap" between TA and Regs hence the emphasis on "professionalism", but they do as you say miss the essential point that very often TA guys and gals have full time real jobs. I also note your very real morale issues and can only sympathise if your CoC are not providing you with stimulating and worthwhile training - and most importantly FUN (which by the way is becoming in increasingly short supply on the Reg side too)

Crucially you should know that whatever we Regs may say, we know that we cannot, any longer, do without our TA and that we do value your committment.

LE

thanks all for that so far, i've seen some of the survey results and i'm also in a position to make comments and send tham up. so i'll be doing that tomorrow morning.

q

those who, at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger, and finally passed out of sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom... let those that come after see to it that their names are not forgotten.

Swinger

Agree with Dr_Evil and Sapukay. Whilst the troops are gaining real experience as IR's on Op Tours, there are very few opportunities for us to go and do one ourselves, we tend to be confined to out deeks filling in the paperwork that keeps the army going and spending our time at home trying to study for all the distance learning packages such as MK1 and 2. The MK1 package is due to be revised and made available in July ( as per an e-mail I had from DA) but I have yet to see anything official on the website about it. Suspect a lot of us would be happier if we felt that all those hours spent studying and doing the relevant admin that goes with the job was leading to a real opportunity to use the skills. Not holding my breath though.

Old-Salt

I thought it was just me that was feeling pretty down about being in the TA, I'm pleased (?) to learn that I'm not unique. I have found the large increase in paperwork expected on a day to day basis at sub unit level, to be totally unmanageable for anyone with any kind of busy professional life.

When I joined, the TA used to look for intelligent people who could, with adequate training, become officers. They were looking for people who were successful in their civilian lives and who could transfer those skills over to the TA and therefore need less training than their regular counterpart because they recruited individuals with little or no management experience. You just have to look at what is expected of someone if they want to get commissioned these days. I just don't see how I personally could have given the time under the new / present system.

The petty bureaucracy that is required by higher levels of command make it almost impossible for anyone with a busy and successful career to take on sub unit command. A prime example, but not the only, would be MPARs. Reporting on people who you may have seen for 3 w/es and a couple of trg nights in 6 months can't be a sensible use of time in anyones eyes. I know its important for their progression, but we at times, blindly have regular army procedures imposed upon us. All this does is grind the middle chain of command down and lower their moral by doing such pointless and time consuming things.

As for things like camps, well whole sections of the TA have camps once every 3 years. How do young officers get experience of commanding soldiers if there aren't any camps. Courses educate people, but are no substitute for proper training and experience. Soon officers will know all their is to know about the theoretical side of soldiering but have so very little practical experience that it becomes meaningless.

Now before everyone jumps up and down on me, we are trying to improve as much as we can by using the little time we can, but the TA is changing, becoming more like the Regular Army, but unfortunately, in my opinion, we seemed to have picked up most of the worst aspects.

Old-Salt

Don't worry chaps we are just the Admin whallas as stated in a few comments above they want our boys to fill in the gaps but don't need the command element we are much more effective being used to keep churning out trained soldiers for the Army to mobilise also we can act as liaison officers with the mobilised soldiers family and employer. Mmmm just why I joined up.

LE

I think that it is wrong to perceive the changes we are going through as stemming from bad habits acquired from the regular Army.

I reckon that what is happening is an unintended consequence of the professionalisation of the TA.

TA officers are subjecting themselves and the Army to the same professional standards they see in operation in their civilian life. They are also gaining operational experience, as are their blokes, which enables them to face down a much greater proportion of the bullsheeyat arguments sometimes thrown at them. Net effect: bolshier TA officers, who are applying outside-world managerial ethics to their TA activities more than ever before. They want:

(a) adequate resources (time and money) to train their blokes and themselves to the operational standards required;
(b) training, educational and professional opportunities which give them a TA career worth the name;
(c) paperwork admin support (or is this just me?);
(d) training and deployment opportunities with those they are supposed to be commanding.

After a few years of being told "Improve your game. It's about being professional", TA officers are saying (my words) "Done. Now, right back at ya."

I have to say, though: it's still fun. Harder, and seemingly less and less about soldiering, but rewarding.

Lending tone, dash and colour to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl.

Old-Salt

How do young officers get experience of commanding soldiers if there aren't any camps. Courses educate people, but are no substitute for proper training and experience. Soon officers will know all their is to know about the theoretical side of soldiering but have so very little practical experience that it becomes meaningless.

Well, exactly... but how do you do camp and your courses in a 'Holiday' year without being financially penalised (i.e. get unpaid leave from work) or romantically penalised (no summer hols with G/F = grumpier than usual female)?

It makes you wonder if anyone from LAND or the MOD ever reads this stuff...

(taps on screen of laptop)

HELLO? ANYONE IN THERE? HELLO?

Light travels faster than sound... that's why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak.

LE

Sorry. Saw the title to this thread and thought it was something to do with a search party...........

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” ( G K Chesterton)
“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” (Voltaire)
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” (Plato)

LE

I know exactly where my morale is. It is in the back of my locker, next to my field kit, TAMs, cam cream etc. Can't remember when any of it last came out to play. I also know that the negative morale vortex sits just next to my laptop.

LE

Been thinking about this - and reckon Incognito makes a really good point here.

When formulating their plans for "professionalisation" and the culture of mobilisation, I am sure at least one of the MoD's top boffins must have said "I bet some of those old bluffers in the TA won't like this - nyuk nyuk nyuk!" They probably expected a clearing out of "dead wood", which indeed they got before renaming "dead" wood as "enablers" and asking them all back in.

But did they expect that TA officers would turn the mirror of professionalism* back around and say "Judge not, lest ye be judged"? I doubt it.

Wasn't it eminently predictable that when TA officers ceased treating being in the TA as a hobby at all and started really treating it as a real job, then their opinion of the organisation they were working for would pall?

There is a "disconnect" here. On the one hand, TA officers are required to be (and are being) professional. On the other, the TA (blokes and officers) are treated as volunteer workers, as if we were helping out at a cake sale, and resourced and listened to accordingly. Sure, we're happy to help out, but perhaps one day our spirit of chirpy do-goodery will cease being enough to compensate for the organisation's failings towards us and our blokes.

*Dr E strolls off, whistling The Internationale*

* The mirror of professionalism is available at IKEA for Â£19, part of the BERK range

Lending tone, dash and colour to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl.

Old-Salt

I know of at least 4 people that have resigned their commissions to join as an OR because it just stopped being enjoyable (granted they have gone to SF or HAC). Why be an officer just to watch your blokes have all the fun and you just do their paper work?